US midterm elections held today, tight fight for Senate control

The United States is holding its midterm (congressional) elections today. Voting is taking place nationwide to decide which party will control the Senate, the upper chamber of the US Congress. Tight races are being seen from Michigan to Alaska.

The election, coming as President Donald Trump's second term nears its two-year mark, is being viewed as a referendum on his administration. Midterm elections do not change the presidency, but if the opposition party wins a majority in Congress, it could affect the president's policy proposals, budget and decisions on government appointments.

Campaign spending for this election is estimated to be the highest in history, with total spending expected to reach $12 billion. Billionaire businessman Elon Musk alone has invested half a billion dollars of that.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration had sought to have about 20,000 votes in California left uncounted. The US Supreme Court rejected that request. The US Department of Justice had claimed last month that California's voter rolls may include around 20,000 non-citizen voters.